“Allegations of grave cases of sexual violence against civilians, including children, in particular affecting IDPs fleeing conflict in the eastern DRC, is a matter of profound concern which requires immediate action,” said the top UN official who advocates for women and girls impacted by sexual violence.
The representative spoke of how she was “deeply troubled” by some attacks which have been taking place in broad daylight, affecting the daily lives and livelihoods of women and girls in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
She noted that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has reported an alarming number of Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases in 2022, and that IDP camps represent a ‘volatilesecurity environment’ , especially for displaced women and girls.
“More than 38,000 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were reported by UNICEF for all of 2022 in North Kivu alone. Humanitarian actors report they have provided assistance to over 600 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in six IDP camps over the course of two weeks in a volatile security environment. In most cases, survivors reported being attacked by armed men and displaced men in and around the camps,” she pointed out.
No immediate ‘life-saving’ aid
Ms. Patten also called attention to how women and girls are disproportionally affected by sexual violence in thousands of cases reported by humanitarian partners, with some unable to “access life-saving services, including Post-Exposure Prophylaxis kits, during the crucial 72-hour window after an attack”.
She said the best way to protect women and girls in such conditions was to provide medical assistance, but also offer routes for escaping violence and other insecurities in the first place.
“Immediate medical and psychosocial assistance must be accompanied by protection measures, to ensure that those who have been forced from their homes due to violence and insecurity, including women and girls fleeing conflict in Masisi and Rutshuru territories in North Kivu province, are able to access services and are not placed at further risk of sexual violence.”
She said the UN rights office in DRC (OHCHR) was liaising with humanitarian partners and other UN agencies in the country to document allegations and provide needed support.
Justice for victims of sexual violence
Ms. Patten also called on authorities to fulfill their human rights obligations by working with the UN to provide protection to civilians fleeing conflict violence, in addition to investigating and prosecuting perpetrators.
“I urge the Government to ensure its national police secures all IDP camps in accordance with their primary obligation to protect civilians under international humanitarian law and their responsibilities to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights obligations.
Ms. Patten called on donors to help ensure protection for victims of sexual violence in DRC and said her office was available to assist partners in providing support.
Briefing ambassadors on Africa Day, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo presented the latest UN report on securing predictable, sustainable and flexible resources for AU-led peace support operations mandated by the Council.
The changing nature of conflict in Africa has forced the partners to adapt their operations in response to new and evolving challenges.
“The case for adequately financing AU-led peace support operations is beyond solid. We are therefore hopeful that the Security Council will agree to provide its backing, including allowing access to UN assessed contributions,” she said.
The report lists the joint mission model and support packages delivered by the UN as the two most practical financing options, which would be authorized on a case-by-case basis.
It also outlines a standardized consultative planning and mandating process, through which the UN, the AU and subregional configurations can assess the required response to an emerging crisis.
“This process would reassure the Council that a given situation has been systematically reviewed by all the relevant entities. It would thus help the Council decide whether assessed contributions can be mandated,” she said.
Rising insecurity, funding shortfalls
Ms. DiCarlo gave an overview of AU and UN cooperation, noting that it has grown significantly since the signing of a 2017 joint framework on enhanced partnership in peace and security.
She said over the past 20 years, the AU has shown readiness to speedily deploy peace support operations in response to conflicts, including in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Comoros, Mali, Somalia and Sudan.
These missions faced recurrent problems such as funding shortfalls, and although support provided by the UN and partners has been useful, it has also been unpredictable.
“As we look at different parts of the continent, it is obvious that the need to put AU peace operations on a solid footing is increasingly pressing,” she said, referring to situations in places such as the Sahel, Somalia, Mozambique, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“In Africa and elsewhere, rising insecurity is characterized by an increasing use of asymmetric tactics and sophistication of armed extremist groups and expanding influence of transnational organized crime,” she continued. “These connected phenomena require commensurate global approaches and responses.”
Progress on compliance
The funding of AU-led operations has been a longstanding issue in the Security Council, particularly over establishing a mechanism to allow partial financing through UN assessed contributions.
Ms. DiCarlo reported that in line with two Council resolutions, the AU has made significant progress to address the financial challenge of its peace operations, and on ensuring compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as UN conduct and discipline standards.
Noting that AU peace operations should be considered as part of the range of responses to crises in Africa, alongside established UN mechanisms, she appealed for the Council’s support.
“As the Secretary-General has stated, concrete action on this longstanding issue will address a critical gap in the international peace and security architecture and bolster the efforts of the African Union to tackle peace and security challenges on the continent.”
Stand with Africa: Guterres
Meanwhile, UN chief António Guterres noted that cooperation and solidarity to advance the continent’s future is more needed than ever.
“I look forward to African governments continuing to seize the opportunities presented by the continent’s natural, human, and entrepreneurial richness, by working to increase private investment and raise resources at home,” he said in his message for Africa Day.
The annual commemoration May celebrates the founding of the Organization of African Union, the African Union precursor, on 25 May 1963.
The Secretary-General urged the international community to stand with Africa as multiple rises – from COVID-19 to climate and conflict – continue to cause great suffering there.
He further stated that African countries are underrepresented in global governance institutions, such as the UN Security Council, and denied the debt relief and concessional funding they need.
“Africa deserves peace, justice and international solidarity,” he said. “With international cooperation and solidarity, this can be Africa’s century.”
He said the men and women that serve, from 125 countries, across 12 operations, were working to support security, stability and the rule of law.
“They represent the beating heart of the United Nations’ commitment to peace”, said Secretary-General António Guterres.
“By bringing peacekeepers together from around the world, peacekeeping has also become an inspiring symbol of multilateralism in action”, he added, just ahead of presenting the prestigious UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year award to a Ghanian peacekeeper, inside the gilded General Assembly Hall in New York.
But thanks to the increasing complexity of conflict, stagnating peace processes, the constant beat of terrorist activity, armed militia, gang violence and transnational crime, communities, countries and entire regions, are being increasingly poisoned, he said.
“And the digital world has become a frightening frontier of tension, division, hate and mis and disinformation.
Sadly, our peacekeepers are increasingly working in places where there is no peace to keep.”
He called for governments represented in the hall to “seriously reflect on the need for a new generation of peace-enforcement missions and counter-terrorism operations”, led by Security Council mandate under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, that could rely on a guaranteed funding stream.
Before the solemn but moving ceremony, the UN chief laid a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial, honouring the sacrifice made by all those serving under te UN flag.
“We mourn their loss and share our deepest sympathies with their families, friends and colleagues. We will never forget their contributions”, he said, before leading a moment of silence.
The roll of those who died in service last year was read, on this 75 anniversary of UN Peacekeeping operations, with more than 4,200 killed in total, in the cause of peace.
Embodying ‘duty to peace’
“Our fallen military, police and civilian personnel came from 39 different countries, with diverse backgrounds. But all embodied our duty to peace”, said Mr. Guterres. “I extend my deepest condolences and gratitude to their families, friends, colleagues and home countries represented here.
“I pay tribute to their service and sacrifice, which inspire our work every day. And I commit to doing everything we can to support our peacekeepers in their mission, including improving their safety and security and the effectiveness of peacekeeping through the Action for Peacekeeping Plus strategy.”
Women ‘leading the way’
Paying tribute to the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the UN chief said it reminds “that our women peacekeepers are not only supporting global peace and security.
“They are leading the way.”
The winner of this year’s Military Gender Advocate award, Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana, embodies leadership in every way, and the principles behind resolution 1325, he said, for her work in Abyei as the Commander of the Ghana Engagement Platoon since March last year.
“In Abyei, she saw first-hand the enormous toll of armed conflict on entire communities — especially women — and she spared no effort to ensure that their voices were heard and reflected”, he added.
Her work reaching out to local communities to hear their concerns, explain the work of peacekeepers, and build trust, as well as engaging with local leadership, women and youth, “has been critical to the mission’s success.”
He said it was “high time” to significantly increase the number of women working in UN peacekeeping missions everywhere.
‘Long live the United Nations’
In her remarks to the ceremony, Cpt. Erzuah, said she was honoured to receive the award, saying it “underscores the tireless efforts and dedication” of her whole platoon, towards gender equality and inclusiveness.
The disputed region of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan, has seen a UN peacekeeping presence since 2011, where the UNIFSA security force works to strengthen police capacity, protect civilians under threat, and help with humanitarian aid and the free movement of aid workers.
She said her platoon’s work had led to an increase in the number of women joining local, male-dominated community protection committees.
Cpt. Erzuah dedicated her award to “the beautiful people of Abyei” whose memory she would always treasure, and “to all peacekeeping personnel, particularly we women in uniform.
“May our dedication, commitment and love for humanity, never go unrewarded. Long live the United Nations.”
Civilian fallen
The head of Operational Support, Atul Khare, accepted a medal on behalf of the families of 42 civilian peacekeepers, who have “paid the ultimate sacrifice”, from 20 Member States.
He said the best way to honour their memories, was to “rededicate ourselves, and our efforts, to the cause of peace.”
Fulgence Kayishema is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi refugees at Nyange Catholic Church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) said in a statement.
He was arrested in South Africa on Wednesday in a joint operation between the IRMCT Office of the Prosecutor and the authorities.
Kayishema has been at large since 2001 and was among four remaining fugitives from the genocide, during which an estimated one million people were killed, and roughly 150,000 to 250,000 women raped, over a period of some 100 days.
IRMCT Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said his arrest ensures the long-standing fugitive will finally face justice for his alleged crimes.
“Genocide is the most serious crime known to humankind. The international community has committed to ensure that its perpetrators will be prosecuted and punished. This arrest is a tangible demonstration that this commitment does not fade and that justice will be done, no matter how long it takes,” he added.
International partners for justice
Mr. Brammertz said the thorough investigation that led to the arrest was made possible through the support and cooperation of South Africa and the Operational Task Team established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to assist the ICMRT Fugitive Tracking Team.
They also received “vital support” from similar Task Forces in other African countries, notably Eswatini and Mozambique.
“Rwandan authorities under the leadership of Prosecutor General Aimable Havugiyaremye continued to be our strongest partners and provided essential assistance,” he said.
The Chief Prosecutor also cited support from other countries, including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, saying “Kayishema’s arrest demonstrates yet again that justice can be secured, no matter the challenges, through direct cooperation between international and national law enforcement agencies.”
The IRMCT performs essential functions previously carried out by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which closed in December 2015, and another for the former Yugoslavia, which concluded two years later.
Kayishema was indicted by the Rwanda tribunal in 2001.
He was charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity for killings and other crimes committed in Kivumu Commune, Kibuye Prefecture, during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
According to the indictment, he and other co-perpetrators murdered more than 2,000 refugees – men, women, elderly persons, and children – at the Nyange Church in Kivumu commune, on 15 April 1994.
He “directly participated in the planning an execution” of the massacre, working methodically over two days following, to transfer the corpses to mass graves.
‘Further step forward’
The arrest marks “a further step forward” in the effort to account for all those fugitives still at large who have been indicted by the ICTR.
Since 2020, the OTP Fugitive Tracking Team has accounted for five of the fugitives at large, including another of the architects of the genocide which was orchestrated by the extremist Hutu regime at the time, Félicien Kabuga, as well as Augustin Bizimana, Protais Mpiranya, and Phéneas Munyarugarama. There are now only three outstanding fugitives.
The political researcher and analyst Zaidan Al-Qinai warned the various governments of pain against allowing artificial intelligence companies to develop military techniques for artificial intelligence that can be used in wars coming in the future, which could cause dire consequences for humanity.
The researcher said that artificial intelligence companies in the United States of America and developed and industrialized countries may tend to develop military technologies for artificial intelligence or use advanced robots instead of soldiers to drive warplanes, tanks and submarines.
They pointed out that the development of military technologies for artificial intelligence may cause the destruction of humanity, especially if robots are used instead of conventional military armies, and if these technologies get out of human control.
A fallen dome lies near the Church of the Holy Mother of God (‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’), destroyed by a Russian aerial bomb on January 18, 2023 in Bohorodychne, Ukraine. Global Images Ukraine
UKRAINE, 110 damaged religious sites inspected and documented by UNESCO – As of 17 May 2023, UNESCO has verified damage to 256 sites since 24 February 2022 – 110 religious sites, 22 museums, 92 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 19 monuments, 12 libraries, 1 Archive.
Report of the Ukrainian Institute for Religious Freedom (January 2023)
As a result of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine,at least 494 religious buildings, theological institutions, and sacred places were wholly destroyed, damaged, or looted by the Russian military, according to the Ukrainian Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF).
IRF presented this last updated data on the impact of the war on Ukrainian religious communities on January 31 and February 1 during the Summit on International Religious Freedom (IRF Summit 2023) held in Washington, D.C.
Most churches, mosques, and synagogues were destroyed in Donetsk region (at least 120) and Luhansk region (more than 70). The scale of destruction is also enormous in Kyiv region (70), where desperate battles were fought in defense of the capital, and in Kharkiv region – more than 50 destroyed religious buildings. Russian air raids, including those using Iranian drones, have affected almost all regions of Ukraine and continue to this day.
Churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate) suffered the most from Russian aggression – at least 143 were destroyed.
The scale of destruction of evangelical church prayer houses is immense – at least 170 in total, of which most affected were Evangelical Christian churches – 75, Evangelical Baptist Christian prayer houses – 49, and Seventh-day Adventist churches – 24.
The updated IRF data also contains information on the destruction of the Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses – a total of 94 religious buildings, of which seven were utterly destroyed, 17 were severely damaged, and 70 were insignificantly damaged.
UNESCO’s policy
UNESCO is conducting a preliminary damage assessment for cultural properties* by cross-checking the reported incidents with multiple credible sources. These published data which are regularly updated do not commit the Organization. UNESCO is also developing, with its partner organizations, a mechanism for independent coordinated assessment of data in Ukraine, including satellite image analysis, in line with provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
A fallen dome lies near the Church of the Holy Mother of God (‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’), destroyed by a Russian aerial bomb on January 18, 2023 in Bohorodychne, Ukraine. Global Images Ukraine
*The term “cultural property” refers to immovable cultural property as defined under Article 1 of the 1954 Hague Convention, irrespective of its origin, ownership or status of registration in the national inventory, and facilities and monuments dedicated to culture, including memorials.
The Organization is in contact with Ukrainian authorities to mark cultural sites and monuments with the distinctive “Blue Shield” emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict to avoid deliberate or accidental damages.
Comment of Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General
The first challenge is to mark cultural heritage sites and monuments and recall their special status as protected areas under international law.
To date, no UNESCO World Heritage site appears to have been damaged.
UNESCO also assisted the Ukrainian authorities in marking cultural sites with the distinctive blue shield emblem. This symbol indicates that the property is protected under the 1954 Hague Convention. Therefore, any infringement is considered a violation of international law and can be prosecuted. It should also be noted that none of the seven UNESCO World Heritage sites have been affected to date.
Laying the foundations for future reconstruction – damaged religious sites
By recording and documenting the damage and destruction of cultural sites, UNESCO not only warns of the seriousness of the situation, but also prepares for future reconstruction. Although it is still too early to start work, the UN organization has already created a fund dedicated to actions in support of Ukraine and has launched an appeal for contributions to its Member States for a rapid response.
List of damaged religious and cultural sites per region as of 17 May 2023 (See the details of the list below HERE)
Donetsk Region: 71 damaged sites
Kharkiv Region: 55 damaged sites
Kyiv Region: 38 damaged sites
Luhansk Region: 32 damaged sites
Chernihiv Region: 17 damaged sites
Sumy Region: 12 damaged sites
Zaporizhia Region: 11 damaged sites
Mykolaiv Region: 7 damaged sites
Kherson Region: 4 damaged sites
Zhytomyr Region: 3 damaged sites
Vinnytsia Ragion: 2 damaged sites
Dnipropetrovk Region: 1 damaged site
Odesa Region: 1 damaged site
Previous assessments and some UNESCO declarations
On 23 June2022, according to the checks carried out by UNESCO’s experts, 152 cultural sites had been partially or totally destroyed as a result of the fighting, including 70 religious buildings, 30 historical buildings, 18 cultural centres, 15 monuments, 12 museums and seven libraries.
Comment of Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General
“These repeated attacks on Ukrainian cultural sites must stop. Cultural heritage, in all its forms, should not be targeted under any circumstances. I reiterate my call for the respect of international humanitarian law, in particular the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.”
On 8 March 2022, UNESCO published a statement saying it was in permanent contact with all relevant institutions, as well as with Ukrainian cultural professionals, to assess the situation and to reinforce the protection of cultural properties.
UNESCO provided technical advice to cultural professionals in the field to protect buildings. Inventory works and shelters were identified to secure objects that could be moved, and fire-fighting measures were reinforced.
Comment of Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General
We must safeguard the cultural heritage in Ukraine, as a testimony of the past but also as a catalyst for peace and cohesion for the future, which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve.
For the Guarani, an indigenous people in Brazil, this geopark is “the place where the jungle ends”, located in Rio Grande do Sul State in southernmost Brazil. Its geological heritage, which consists of mining sulfide metals and marble, has been vital for the region’s economic development. Besides its geodiversity, the geopark is home to endangered cacti, bromeliads, endemic flowers, and bee species.
Brazil: Quarta Colônia Geopark
This geopark is located in the south of Brazil between the Pampa and Atlantic Forest biomes. Its name is a reference to the period when Italians colonised the central part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. There are colonial villas, traces of indigenous and settlements of the quilombolas (formerly enslaved people of African descent). The geopark is also rich in fossils of animal and plant life, dating back 230 million years.
Greece: Lavreotiki Geopark
Famous for the abundance and variety of its mineralogical specimens, many of which were first discovered in the area, this geopark is known around the world for the silver that is extracted from mixed sulfide deposits. The region has been inhabited since antiquity due to its underground geological wealth and is currently home to over 25,000 inhabitants. Lavreotiki also houses the Byzantine Holy Monastery of St Paul the Apostle.
Indonesia: Ijen Geopark
This gem is located in the Banyuwangi and Bondowoso Regencies in East Java Province. Its location between the strait and the sea has made it a crossroads for human migration and commerce. Ijen is one of the most active volcanoes in the Ijen caldera system. Thanks to a rare phenomenon, high concentrations of sulfur rise from the active crater before igniting as they encounter the oxygen-rich atmosphere; as the gas burns, it forms an electric blue flame which is unique, and only visible at night.
Indonesia: Maros Pangkep Geopark
This geopark is located along the southern arm of the island of Sulawesi in the Maros and Pangkep Regencies. The local population is primarily composed of the indigenous peoples of Bugis and Makassarese. This archipelago lies in the Coral Triangle and serves as a centre for the conservation of coral reef ecosystems. The area is more than 100 million years old.
Indonesia: Merangin Jambi Geopark
This geopark is home to the unique fossils of “Jambi flora”, which are the only exposed fossilized plants of their kind in the world today. These are located in the central part of Sumatra Island in Indonesia. The name ‘Jambi flora’ refers to fossilized plants found as part of a rock formation dating from the Early Permian era (296 million years old). The fossils include mosses, primitive conifers and seed ferns, which reproduce via seed dispersal instead of through spores.
Indonesia: Raja Ampat Geopark
This geopark’s territory includes four main islands and is special for having the oldest exposed rock in the country, which is almost one-tenth as old as Earth itself. Scuba-divers flock to the area, drawn by the beauty of the underwater caves and the extraordinary marine mega-biodiversity. Here, they can observe rock art produced by prehistoric humans who lived in the area several thousand years ago.
Iran: Aras Geopark
Aras Geopark / Ehsan Zamanian
Aras UNESCO Global Geopark in Iran.
The Aras River marks the northern limit of this geopark located in northwestern Iran at the southern end of the Lesser Caucasus Mountain range. This mountain range acts as a natural barrier. It has created a range of climates, as well as rich geodiversity and biodiversity; it also links different cultures on the northern and southern sides of the mountain chain.
Iran: Tabas Geopark
Many thinkers have referred to the 22,771 km2 of desert in northwest South Khorasan Province where this geopark is located as “the geological paradise of Iran”. This is because one can follow the evolution of the planet from the earliest part of the Earth’s history 4.6 billion years ago (the Precambrian) to the Early Cretaceous about 145 million years ago without the slightest interruption. The geopark is home to the Naybandan Wildlife Refuge, the largest in Iran, which covers an area of 1.5 million hectares and is the most important habitat of the Asian cheetah.
Located in central Japan, where it follows the Tedori River from Mount Hakusan down to the sea, the Hakusan Tedorigawa Geopark records approximately 300 million years of history. It contains rocks that were formed by the collision of continents. It also has strata containing fossils of dinosaurs which accumulated in rivers and lakes on land at a time when Japan was attached to the Eurasian continent.
Malaysia: Kinabalu Geopark
Mount Kinabalu dominates this geopark in the State of Sabah at the northern end of the island of Borneo. The highest mountain lying between the Himalayas and New Guinea, Mount Kinabalu has been attracting explorers for over a century. Covering an area of 4,750 km2, the geopark is home to many endemic plants and animals, including 90 orchid species that exist only on Mount Kinabalu, and the crimson-headed partridge bird not found anywhere else on Earth.
New Zealand: Waitaki Whitestone Geopark
New Zealand’s first UNESCO Global Geopark lies on the east coast of the South Island. The landscapes, rivers and tides of this geopark have enormous cultural significance for the local indigenous people, the Ngāi Tahu whānui. The geopark offers exceptional insights into the history of the Earth’s eighth continent, Zealandia, or Te Riu-a-Māui in Maori. The geopark provides evidence of the formation of Zealandia, which broke away from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana around 80 million years ago.
Norway: Sunnhordland Geopark
The landscapes in this geopark range from glacier-covered alpine mountains to archipelagos with thousands of islands situated on the strand-flat along the coast. The geological landscape displays textbook examples of glacial erosion that occurred during 40 ice ages. The Hardangerfjord Fault separates a billion years of geological evolution.
Philippines: Bohol Island Geopark
The Philippines’ first UNESCO Global Geopark, Bohol Island, sits in the Visayas island group. The island’s geological identity has been pieced together over 150 million years, as periods of tectonic turbulence have raised the island from the ocean depths. The geopark abounds in karstic geosites such as caves, sinkholes and cone karst, including the famous cone-shaped Chocolate Hills in the centre of the geopark.
Republic of Korea: Jeonbuk West Coast Geopark
This geopark tells 2.5 billion years of well-exposed geological history in the western part of the country. The vast tidal flats dotted with volcanoes and islands allow us to travel through time to piece together elements of the Earth’s history. Jeonbuk West Coast UNESCO Global Geopark has already been recognized by UNESCO as a natural and cultural World Heritage property and as a biosphere reserve.
Spain: Cabo Ortegal Geopark
Cabo Ortegal, Spain.
Take a journey into the interior of our planet by discovering rocks that emerged from the depths of the Earth almost 400 million years ago in what is now Cabo Ortegal UNESCO Global Geopark. This geopark provides some of the most complete evidence in Europe of the collision that caused Pangea, a process known as the Variscan Orogeny. Most of the rocks in this geopark were brought to the surface by the collision of two continents, Laurussia and Gondwana, which would eventually join the supercontinent Pangaea about 350 million years ago.
Thailand: Khorat Geopark
Khorat UNESCO Global Geopark, Thailand.
This geopark is mostly located in the LamTakhong river basin on the southwestern margin of the Khorat Plateau in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in northeast Thailand. The unique geological feature of the region is the diversity and abundance of fossils ranging in age from 16 million to 10,000 years. A large range of dinosaurs and other animal fossils like ancient elephants have been found in Mueang District.
Mourne Gullion Strangford UNESCO Global Geopark, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland..
This geopark tells the tale of how two oceans evolved over 400 million years of geological history. It charts the closure of the Iapetus Ocean and the birth of the North Atlantic Ocean, which generated large amounts of molten rock (or magma) both within the Earth’s crust and on the surface. The geopark is located in the southeast of Northern Ireland, adjacent to the border with the Republic of Ireland.
In this unprecedented joint call, the Special Representative Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, was joined by the head of the UN human rights office (OHCHR), refugee agency UNHCR, the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the UN migration agency (IOM) – in close partnership with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings – who stressed that “protection of all children, independently of their status, is more necessary than ever.”
This includes investing in strong rights-based national protection systems that include displaced children, rather than excluding them or creating separate services for them, says the brief, which has proven to be more sustainable and effective in the long-term.
As millions of children are displaced, often for many years, by crises such as armed conflicts, political instability, climate change – and it’s associated fallout for health and economic survival – the best interests of the child must be the primary consideration, the brief states.
Full protection requires translating good intentions into concrete and sustained actions, ensuring non-discriminatory access to national services.
This includes civil documentation such as birth registration, social welfare, justice, health, education, and social protection – for all children, without distinction or exclusion based on their migration status.
Penelope Cruz – unity call
Spanish film star and campaigner, Penelope Cruz joined the call, emphasizing that we all have a role to play in protecting children from violence: “Children must be protected everywhere and in all circumstances. Keeping all children safe from harm and promoting their wellbeing with particular attention to those is crisis situations is – and must be – everybody’s business.
“Let’s be united in creating a world free from violence against children”, she declared.
“There is no time to spare,” said Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
“We must take action, not only to ensure Palestinian well-being and governance, but as an integral part of ending the occupation and restoring a political horizon toward a viable two-State solution, based on UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements,” he said, briefing the Council on recent grim and dangerous security and humanitarian concerns.
While a ceasefire that ended five days of fighting between Israel and Gaza is holding, conflict mitigation efforts must also be met with steps by both sides – supported by the international community – to reset a trajectory out of the cycle of violence, he said.
In this vein, he called on all parties to stop unilateral and inflammatory actions that undermine prospects for peace, and to address the acute financial and institutional challenges facing the Palestinian Authority.
The Special Coordinator also warned of a looming food crisis.
“I am particularly alarmed by the funding crisis facing UN agencies supporting basic services and social support, including emergency food assistance, to Palestinians,” he said, encouraging Member States to immediately seek ways to increase their support.
Unless new support arrives, the World Food Programme (WFP) will suspend cash assistance to some 200,000 Palestinians next week, and the UN relief agency, UNRWA, will not have the resources to deliver core services in September.
Without new funding, he said “we will face serious humanitarian and, potentially, security challenges”.
The World Food Programme (WFP) provides poor and food insecure families in Gaza with electronic food vouchers which give them access to local products.
Diplomacy saves lives
In recent weeks, the UN, together with regional and international partners, mobilized once again to end hostilities between armed factions in Gaza and Israeli forces, he said, calling such efforts “crucial to saving Palestinian and Israeli lives”.
“Nevertheless, we must also keep issues fundamental to creating the conditions for a lasting peace at the forefront,” he said. “The immediate priority is to support steps to bolster the Palestinian Authority and preserve the provision of critical services to the Palestinian people.”
These steps should be implemented in a way that encourages the parties to engage with each other and require actions by Israeli and Palestinian leaders, alongside increased support and attention from the international community, he said.
Civilians ‘bear the brunt’
Meanwhile, he said a landscape of violence and tensions saw Israel and Palestinian armed factions once again resort to rocket fire into and out of the Gaza Strip enclave.
Following the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Khader Adnan’s death in an Israeli jail following an 86-day hunger strike, armed factions in Gaza fired over 100 rockets towards Israel, causing damage but no injuries. The Israeli Air Force responded with airstrikes against what it said were Hamas and PIJ targets in the Strip, killing one Palestinian and causing damage, he said.
Even though the hostilities ended on 3 May, Israel had conducted 323 airstrikes against what it said were PIJ military targets in Gaza, while Palestinian militants, mainly PIJ’s al-Quds Brigades, launched over 1,200 rockets and more than 250 mortars towards Israel, he added.
The number of deaths mounted on both sides, he said, regretting to note that civilians continued to “bear the brunt of such hostilities”.
West Bank violence
Levels of violence remained high in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, he said.
Seventeen Palestinians, including two children, were killed and 138 Palestinians, including two women and 23 children, were injured by Israeli security forces during demonstrations, clashes, search-and-arrest operations, attacks, and alleged attacks against Israelis, he said.
During the reporting period, Israeli forces imposed significant movement restrictions around Jericho, Nablus, and Hebron following either Palestinian attacks or stone throwing – affecting tens of thousands of Palestinians and local economic conditions.
Racist slogans
Thousands of right-wing Israeli activists, including senior Government ministers, participated in the highly provocative annual “flag day” march through Jerusalem’s Old City, marking Jerusalem Day, he said, adding that “many chanted racist slogans, including ‘death to Arabs’, with scuffles breaking out between Israeli participants and Palestinians”.
“Such provocations and incitement, which continued in the days after the march, are unacceptable and must be condemned by all,” he said.
Palestinian houses and Israeli settlements in H2 area in Hebron, West Bank.
Expanding illegal settlements
More illegal settlement plans are moving forward, with tenders published for some 310 housing units in Area C and demolitions continuing, he said.
During the reporting period, Israeli authorities demolished, seized, or forced owners to demolish 33 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and 17 in East Jerusalem, including a donor-funded school east of Bethlehem, displacing 89 Palestinians, including 45 children, he said, calling on Israeli authorities to end the displacement and eviction of Palestinians.
“They are a substantial obstacle to peace and must stop,” he said of the settlements, noting that all such expansion into occupied territory is illegal under international law.
The landmark decision comes as heat-trapping greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels – “higher than at any time over the last 800,000 years”, WMO warned.
The new Global Greenhouse Gas Watch will combine observations from Earth and from space with modelling, to fill critical information gaps. It will build on WMO’s experience in coordinating international collaboration on weather prediction.
The agency said that the exchange of data will be “free and unrestricted”, in support of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
According to WMO, between 1990 and 2021, the warming effect on our climate from the main greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, rose by nearly 50 per cent.
“We know from our measurements that greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels”, said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “The increase in carbon dioxide levels from 2020 to 2021 was higher than the average growth rate over the past decade and methane saw the biggest year-on-year jump since measurements started.
Plenty still to learn
“But there are still uncertainties, especially regarding the role in the carbon cycle of the ocean, the land biosphere and the permafrost areas,” said Mr. Taalas.
“We therefore need to undertake greenhouse gas monitoring within an integrated Earth System framework in order to be able to account for natural sources and sinks, both as they currently operate and as they will change as a result of a changing climate. This will provide vital information and support for implementation of the Paris Agreement,” he said.
Lars Peter Riishojgaard, WMO Deputy Director for infrastructure, said the UN weather agency’s “decision on the generational challenge of climate change mitigation, is a historic step.
“Internationally coordinated global greenhouse gas monitoring open to all and operating under WMO’s policy of free and unrestricted exchange of data, will provide valuable, timely and authoritative information on greenhouse gas fluxes to the UNFCCC Parties (the UN climate change convention Secretariat), which will help them in their efforts to mitigate climate change”, he added.
Mr. Riishojgaard said there was “very strong support from the science community and private sector”, for the new monitoring project.
Landfills are a major source of methane emissions, and improved management can capture the methane as a clean fuel source as well as reducing health risks. Photo: World Bank/Curt Carnemark
